Wolverhampton Wanderers were held to a 1-1 draw with Newcastle United in the Premier League on Saturday, which caused Nuno Espirito Santo’s side to drop behind Sheffield United in the table. Meanwhile, the Magpies halted their three-game losing run but were unable to get back to winning ways.
Miguel Almiron opened the scoring after seven minutes, finishing off a slick Newcastle move with aplomb. The strike stunned the hosts into life though and they were quick to react. Just seven minutes later, the scores were level as some static visiting defending allowed Leander Dendoncker to level the scores from a corner. That is how they would remain until the final whistle, in a result that suited the visitors significantly more than the hosts.
Almiron finding his feet
Newcastle’s Paraguayan winger has found the back of the net in his last two games, having gone almost a year without scoring prior to that run. He has shouldered the goalscoring responsibility in his teammates’ absence and now has some genuine momentum after breaking his duck against Crystal Palace.
Manager Steve Bruce will be hoping his upturn in output continues for the remainder of the season, with Joelinton and Allan Saint-Maximin misfiring. A sustained run of goals would do wonders for turning around the Magpies disappointing form and rebuild a barrier to the drop zone.
Wolves lose ground in the race for Europe
Slipping up against a side as out of form as Newcastle United will have cost Wolves dearly, and the dropped points mean they lost ground on Manchester United and Sheffield United in the race to secure a Europa League spot.
Santo’s side simply cannot afford not to be ruthless, especially if there is a cup upset, which would limit the number of Premier League slots available to gain entry to Europe. Although Wolves did address a two-game losing streak, they would have expected to get back to winning ways against a side who has suffered an existential injury crisis, currently in freefall.
More injury woes for Bruce
Bruce will not have been pleased to have seen his squad sustain even more injuries against Wolves, and he has described this period as the worst injury crisis he has seen in 40 years. Both Paul Dummett and Dwight Gayle were first half casualties, but Newcastle managed to hold out for an essential point in their absence. It has been almost impossible for the Magpies boss to name an unchanged line-up due to an ever-increasing injury list, and the side appears disjointed because of it.
Next Up
Both sides have FA Cup replays to contend with in midweek, but Newcastle face Chelsea upon their return to Premier League action on Saturday, while Wolves face Southampton.
